Innovation

The Way to Stay Ahead

Something I'd like to comment on. Ok, so this is more about the entertainment industry, than a musical theatre one, but I'd like to put it out there ayway. I've been listening to quite a few tracks from the UK's chart, and you know what? There's one reason why our music industry seems to do so well.

It isn't just that we're aggressive in marketing it to the world - which we are. Nor is it the fact that our producers have many good deals with foreign distributors to guarantee a steady flow of hits. No. The reason our industry's got staying power is a simple fact: because the music is different from anything heard elsewhere.

This may sound obvious, but there's a special element to UK chart hits that I don't hear in other music industries. It's amazing how diverse our pop tunes are. Sample the top 20 tunes, and you'll find urban, reggae, disco and hip-hop, blended with funk, soul jazz funk and even blues. Granted most other industries are just as eclectic - after all, artists like Usher and Beyonce Knowles were born to make hits, and they certainly come out with some groundbreaking new tunes, but there's a magical 'it' factor in our industry at the moment, that sets it apart from the rest.

I may be biased, but play the top 20 chart hits right now, and I think you'll see there's something to this argument. After all, I notice that all over Europe, it is British and American tunes that always seem to be on the ariplay, no matter what the country or the language.

My point is this. It takes a lot of courage to be different, but if you come out with something genuinely original, you can lead the way. Jamiroquai did it in the 1990's. At first, no one really understood a group who played jazz, funk and soul as dance music, in the middle of all the techno, rave and other styles at the time. But as disco came back in fashion, they took off with a vengeance, and the whole music scene became laced with funky grooves, many artists mixing the old school with the new.

So it pays to be different, and in art, you have to innovate. It's not just about taking risks. You have to come out with something in a new way. That's how to stay ahead.

For inspiration, just check out this little number...